Snow day

In college, I didn’t expect the same snow days I had in grade school. Those early mornings spent waiting in the living room with my sisters, eyes glued to the scrolling bar at the bottom of the screen, praying to see our district on the list. And when we did, we’d leap for joy, running back to our rooms to grab as many cuddly blankets, pillows and stuffed animals as possible to make a cozy fort to hide out in. Later in the day, my dad came home from work and joined us outside to build snowmen and shovel a big hill for sledding.

At 9:04 PM, we received the long-awaited email stating that the campus would be closed until midnight the next day.

After watching the snow fall endlessly on Sunday, my roommates and I huddled in our living room, waiting with the same hope for a notification from the university that classes would be canceled on Monday. And at 9:04 PM, we received the long-awaited email stating that the campus would be closed until midnight the next day. After getting over our excitement, we settled in for a late night of binging movies and shows together that we were normally too busy to watch.

The next day, that childlike wonder returned. We slept in, ate breakfast together, and convened in the living room to plan our day. We felt like our parents, watching from the front window as our neighbors found the least efficient ways to shovel their cars out from the streets. We layered up and made snow angels outside, relishing in the cold, powdery snow. Our living room stayed warm with hot chocolate and blankets as we completed puzzles and watched familiar movies.

Just as we were discussing how to prepare to leave the warmth of our house the next day, a notification lit up our phones – the university would be closed again!

A second day inside felt more like the early days of the COVID-19 quarantine – complete with Zoom calls and discussion posts for attendance – but we still made time for each other. Our living room was a happy oasis where all work was completed, and conversation and laughter flowed endlessly.

As I returned to normalcy, braving the cold wind in boots and gloves, I carried the warmth of the two snow days with me, grateful for the lasting memories the days off from school gave me.

Photography by Sylvia Stahl and Mo Anwari